Nine Newspapers have won big in the Total News readership figures released by Roy Morgan for ThinkNewsBrands.
The Australian Financial Review is the country’s most-read premium business masthead, recording a cross-platform readership of 3.4 million people. The Sydney Morning Herald extended its lead over its direct competitor to remain Australia’s most-read news brand with a cross-platform readership of 7.42 million readers. The Age once again maintained its lead as Victoria’s most-read masthead, with a cross-platform readership of 4.9 million
In the last four weeks, 1.1 million people have read a print edition of The Australian Financial Review, with the masthead holding steady year-on-year after experiencing four consecutive quarters of growth. Meanwhile, The Australian has dropped 16% for the same period.
The Monday to Friday print edition recorded massive annual growth of 31% year-on-year, for an average issue readership of 244,000, while the AFR Weekend Saturday print edition has a readership of 190,000, once again posting huge annual growth of 35%.
Highlighting the strength of the Financial Review’s digital offering, nearly 75% of AFR readers engage with the masthead’s online publication.
The Australian Financial Review Magazine continues to dominate Australia’s monthly magazine insert figures, with a print readership of 498,000, which has seen quarterly growth of 1% – its fourth consecutive quarter of growth – and annual growth of 22%. This is the highest quarterly growth result since December 2018.
The Financial Review’s editor in chief, Michael Stutchbury, said the quarterly growth in the Financial Review’s total readership matched the new benchmarks being hit for the masthead’s retail subscriptions and the exceptional growth in its corporate subs. “This is all driven by the exceptional journalism of the Financial Review newsroom, highlighted by last week’s Gold Walkley award for Neil Chenoweth and Edmund Tadros for their PwC investigation over the past year,” Stutchbury said.
Cementing its place as the country’s most read masthead, more than one in three Australian readers choose The Sydney Morning Herald to stay informed. The Herald nearly doubles The Daily Telegraph readership (7.42 million versus The Telegraph’s 3.92 million).
The Monday to Friday print edition recorded an average issue readership of 407,000, displaying growth of 5% year-on-year, while Saturday’s print edition recorded annual growth of 6%.
The Sun Herald print edition increased its annual readership, up by 5% year-on-year and is read by 439,000 people every Sunday. In the last four weeks, 1.7 million people on average have read a print edition of the Herald.
“These latest results are another reminder that the Herald is in an incredibly strong position despite challenges to the media landscape in Australia and around the globe. We have been producing some truly exceptional stories each day, week and month for our valued subscribers. Everyone in the newsroom has worked very hard to achieve these results, and I thank them sincerely,” said Bevan Shields, editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Age also cemented its place as the nation’s second most read news brand after The Sydney Morning Herald and is ahead of its main competitor The Herald Sun by 800,000 people.
The Monday to Friday print edition recorded annual growth of 11% year-on-year, recording a readership of 291,000, while the Saturday edition saw annual growth of 6% with 433,000 print readers. In the last four weeks 1.2 million people on average have read a print edition of The Age.
“The Age‘s stellar digital performance, with almost double the readership of its rival Melbourne masthead, is heartening. It shows the appetite for responsible, balanced and independent public interest journalism remains strong in Victoria,” said The Age editor Patrick Elligett.
Across The Herald and The Age, the Good Weekend continues to be Saturday’s most read magazine insert, attracting an average issue print readership of 752,000, which is up 2% on this time last year.
Sunday Life recorded an average issue print readership of 396,000, while a reinvigorated housing market saw Domain record annual growth of 11% with an average issue print readership of 554,000.
Overall, Nine’s Total Publishing assets reached a de-duplicated audience of 16.3 million Australians across print and digital.
